Deuteronomy 12:4

4 Ye shall not do so to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 12:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:4

Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
] Not sacrifice to him on hills and mountains, and under green trees; though the Jews commonly refer this to the destruction of the names of God, and of any thing appertaining to the temple; that though the temples and the altars of the Heathens were to be overthrown, yet not a stone was to be taken from the house of God, or that belonged to it, nor any of his names to be blotted out; so the Targum of Jonathan and Maimonides ^F26, who also observes ^F1, that whoever removes a stone by way of destruction from the altar, or from the temple, or from the court, is to be beaten; so he that burns the holy wood.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Yesode Hattorah, c. 6. sect. 7, 9.
F1 Ibid. sect. 8.

Deuteronomy 12:4 In-Context

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places in which the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

4 Ye shall not do so to the LORD your God.

5 But the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, [even] his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave-offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your free-will-offerings, and the firstlings of your herds, and of your flocks: